the last couple winter have hammered the deer herd, I pretty much bird hunt sept and oct and i can say there arent many deer around, let alone the red river valley is pretty much a black desert for 6 months a year.
the last few years I don't even hear a shot in 2d around my place, in the 70s you would hear people hollering pushing deer and hundreds of shots. times have changed.
best fall was last year started in montana hunting my old lab and my 5 month old yellow female. she started just following me in sept and by december i had a bird dog.
the rut is defiantly in full swing, cutting meat in my garage a doe walks by 20 yards away, over the next 1/2 3 bucks each one bigger than the last walk by scenting her trail the last one was probably a 5- or 6-year-old buck.
grew up with a actual smoke house in the back yard and dad was always smoking something. the pellet grills dont smell like a smoke house when they are smoking so i question what the pellets are made of.